VCU news

By Anne Dreyfuss
C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, with more than 600,000 Americans dying of the disease each year. In recognition of American Heart Month in February, Virginia Commonwealth University hosted a Twitter chat about the disease on Feb. 2 with Jordana Kron, M.D., a physician from the VCU Health Pauley Heart Center.

The term “heart disease” refers to several types of heart conditions, the most common of which is coronary artery disease, which can cause heart attacks. Other kinds of heart disease may involve the valves in the heart, or the heart may not pump well and cause heart failure.

While some people are born with heart disease, lifestyle habits such as smoking, eating an unhealthy diet and not getting enough exercise increase risk for developing heart disease. Other conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes can also increase risk for the disease.

Every year about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those, 525,000 are a first heart attack and 210,000 occur in people who have already had a heart attack.

During the Twitter chat, Kron discussed preventative measures to reduce risk of developing heart disease as well as symptoms of the disease and treatment options. VCU hosts Twitter chats with medical experts on a variety of topics. Stay engaged with the conversation by following @VCUHealth on Twitter and searching for the hashtag #VCUHealthChat.

Below are Kron’s replies to some of the questions raised on Twitter.

What is heart disease?
There are different kinds of heart disease, like coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure and heart rhythm problems.

What causes heart disease?
There are many causes of heart disease. Some, like genetic risk, cannot be modified, but many causes can be modified by, for example, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly. Another modification is keeping chronic illness such as high blood pressure and diabetes under control.

What are symptoms of heart disease?
The classic symptom of heart disease is chest pain or pressure. Men may present with an “elephant sitting on the chest.” Women are more likely to have atypical symptoms such as shortness of breath, sweating, or nausea and vomiting. If you find that you can’t exercise like you used to or are short of breath, let your doctor know.

What are treatments for heart disease?
If a patient has a significant coronary block or a heart attack, the blockage may be treated with a cardiac stent. If there are several blockages, they may be treated with coronary artery bypass surgery. Lifestyle changes include diet, exercise, not smoking and stress reduction.

What are healthy changes you can make to lower your risk of developing heart disease?
Maintain a healthy body weight. Exercise for 30-60 minutes most days of the week. Do not smoke. Drink alcohol in moderation. You should also control high blood pressure and diabetes with your doctor’s guidance. 

When should people start getting their blood pressure checked?
All adults should monitor their blood pressure regularly. Blood pressure can be checked by your primary care doctor, or you can check it yourself at the supermarket or pharmacy.

Heart disease used to be thought of as a man’s disease. How has that changed over the years?
Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in U.S. women and causes more deaths than all cancers combined. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in women and has similar risk factors as heart disease.

What is the connection between high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart disease?
High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because it can cause damage to organs even if the patient does not feel bad. It can lead to coronary heart disease, elevated risk of stroke, blindness and kidney failure.

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